Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas break.

With scientists predicting the return of El Niño this year, early forecasts suggest it is very likely the world will exceed 1.5C of warming. I am particularly worried about this increasing extreme weather in developing countries, who are already bearing the brunt of this crisis. It’s clearly another important year for world leaders and the salvation of our planet.

However, in this never-ending saga of Don’t Look Up, the Tory Government has begun the year in typical fashion – more private jets, fighting over onshore wind energy, lifting the ban on fracking, and opening a brand-new coalmine. Prime Minister Sunak has just landed from another domestic flight in an RAF jet – his third in ten days. This is not surprising, given his Government’s ridiculous Jet Zero Strategy, that will allow the airline industry to continue guzzling fuel like there is no tomorrow.

The Tories have had twelve years to sort out this mess. Twelve years to build sustainable infrastructure and new homes, to invest in cheaper, more efficient, and green public transport and to create a green energy revolution. But they didn’t and they continue to run away from the problem.  We desperately need a change and I am looking forward to welcoming Ed Miliband to Hornsey & Wood Green, with the support of Haringey Labour Climate Action, to talk about Labour’s plans for a greener, fairer, better future.  I’m particularly glad that he will be joined by Cllr Peray Ahmet and Cllr Mike Hakata to look at how the work local councils are doing right now can support Labour’s ambitions in government.

Here are some of the things I’ve been doing in Parliament since your last newsletter:

Woodlands Trust Parliamentary event

Recently, I attended the Woodlands Trust Parliamentary event to learn more about the benefits of agroforestry on a large scale on farmland in England. Their new Farming for the Future 2022 Report was such a fascinating read about how changes to the way we farm, through agroforestry, could have a ground-breaking impact on reaching national and international commitments on climate and nature and support farmers through the green transition.

Attack on Nature

Hundreds of constituents have got in touch with me about the Tories unprecedented attack on nature.  The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries on the planet, with over 40% of species in decline. And yet the Government is planning to scrap housing and environmental regulation and build over national parks and sites of scientific interest. I wrote to the Levelling Up Secretary to raise my concerns and seek assurances that house building, and rewilding will go hand-in-hand.

Cycle training

Haringey, like all local authorities, has seen its cycle training funding slashed by this Government by more than half, while at the same time we are seeing higher number of people cycling than ever before. That’s why in Parliament, I urged the Minister to commit to funding Local Authorities to ensure cycling lessons for children can continue. In November, I attended a meeting organised by the APPG Cycling & Walking on ‘The Economics of Active Travel’, discussing the need for green city planning.

Flooding in London

Last summer, the UK experienced an extraordinary heatwave that caused the capital to halt to a standstill. Sadly, flash flooding is becoming more frequent, and Ministers are walking around like headless chickens, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. We need a proper strategy to deal with climate disasters – London must be equipped to defend itself against extreme weather. That’s why I wrote to the Minister and urged for immediate action to limit the impact of our shifting climate and ensure residents and businesses are supported in the right way.

Support for victims of flooding in Pakistan

I attended an event organised by my colleague Afzal Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Minister, and Islamic Relief and the British Red Cross (BRC) to learn more about how charities and the third sector are working to provide life-saving food, shelter, and medicine to victims of this climate disaster. In November, I also met with WFP’s Country Director for Pakistan to discuss this ongoing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan.

Some of my recent Written Parliamentary Questions:

• To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of (a) responsible and (b) irresponsible use of Jet Skis on (i) the marine environment and (ii) people including other water users and local residents. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new Investment Zones on legal protections for national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and green belt land. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what bilateral financial assistance his Department is providing to Pacific Island nations to help with mitigating the risk of climate change. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes were retrofitted with funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency as of 31 October 2022. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that have been retrofitted through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency since the introduction of that fund. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many projects have been completed through the Green Deal in Hornsey and Wood Green, as of 31 October 2022. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes were retrofitted as a result of the Green Homes Grant in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency as of 31 October 2022. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase the rate of energy efficiency measure installations in homes in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he (a) has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of implementing and (b) plans to take steps to publish a consultation on a social tariff for energy. Response here
• To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of local authority rules in tackling the negative effects of jet ski usage. Response here